How Fleet Foxes Capture Emotion Through Sound

January 22, 2018Pola Bunster

Have you ever wondered what a cold winter morning on a foggy day sounds like? Or the gentle incline of a forest mountain? What about the echo of a blooming meadow or the sound a heart makes when it’s broken? Finding sound in such private moments and personifying them into song is exactly what Seattle-native, Fleet Foxes, have mastered over the years. They’ve brought this musical alchemy of transforming a feeling into song into the hearts of many, longing for more.

It’s simple, really.

They burst onto the scene with their eponymous first album, proving that Americana is indeed timeless. With impeccable multi-part harmonies and classic instrumentation, it felt so new yet nostalgic at the same time. They reminded our souls that you don’t need heavy-handed production to be catchy, and especially real. It was whimsical and everything our inner children needed to hear.

Then came Helplessness Blues, easily one of the best follow-up albums of the decade. Fleet Foxes has mastered the ability to follow through, with emotion and wholeness in large quantities. Like a heavy storm building over a rolling hill, they’ve captured the essence of natural power–something that lies within all of us. Ultimate relateability.

We were given a brief respite with the popular, “Mykonos,” a gorgeous melody and insatiable tease. After 6 years, the beloved indie folk band brought airwaves a highly-anticipated third album, Crack-Up. It’s a refreshing opportunity for fans to observe the evolution of a sound they’ve loved from the very first note. The kind of piece that makes you proud to get to watch a beloved artist as they grow ever deeper into their own.

And after all these years, they’ve still managed to capture those obscure emotions with their art form. Somehow their five instruments are amplified and multiplied into what sounds like an orchestral crescendo with every song–and the result is an emotional connection very few artists can execute as stunningly or gracefully.

The great news?

With all that being said, one of the shows we’re most excited about in 2018 is of course theirs at The Fillmore. That’s right, they’re coming to Miami on March 4th and we’re sort of freaking out. If you can’t already tell. Before others join the wagon, you should buy your tickets.